Frugal Finds: Part VI of our Spending Diet with Lip Smackers

I am going to reveal possibly my best kept secret beauty product.  Ready for it?  Promise you won’t laugh?

Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker.

Yep, you read that right.  I first discovered this little gem back in high school.  I loved Dr.  Pepper and saw the Bonne Bell Lip Smackers one day in the drug store.  I grabbed one and so began a lifetime devotion to this simple tube of joy.

All Lip Smackers have a great texture, they aren’t overly heavy or waxy, they glide on smooth and give you lovely soft lips.  But the best thing about Dr Pepper?  It darkens your lips one shade giving a you a natural (only better!) look.  You kind of have to trust me on this one, take the leap of faith and buy a tube.  You can find it in most drugstores, Walmart, etc., for less than $2. I can promise you will be delighted.

There, my secret is out.   

What secret beauty product do you love?  Please share in the comments or tweet me @carissayh.  I promise, it will be our secret...well, our Stimulista secret! 

by Carissa Halley
Stimuli Magazine Contributor

Posted under Confessions of a Beauty Junkie •

Frugal Finds: Part V of our Spending Diet with Joe Fresh Cosmetics

I have a serious crush on Joe Fresh clothing.  I love finding a pair of cute trendy shoes, a new blouse for work or a cute accessory or two while I am grocery shopping. I realize sometimes the quality isn’t there, but even so, the prices are right and the styles are generally trendy, of-the-moment designs that you wouldn’t want to break the bank on anyways.  And, you can grab eggs and ballet flats in the same store. How can you not love Joe Fresh at least a little?

When I happened upon the Joe Fresh cosmetics line I was a wee bit hesitant. I had never heard of it before and considering that my experience with the clothing line was that it had hit and miss quality, I was afraid the cosmetics would as well.  

So, my beauty spending diet seemed like the perfect time to be brave and try Joe Fresh Cosmetics. I decided to try out an eye shadow single and tinted lip balm.

I chose a single colour eyeshadow in Navy. I had been going back and forth on trying a navy shadow for some time, I thought the look was pretty and perfect for spring, but I didn’t know if it would work on me. I had flashbacks to the blue eyeshadow I rocked in the late 80’s (yikes!), so I didn’t want to spend very much in case I hated it. The pigment was really nice, it gave a true colour with minimal fall-out and lasted well throughout the day. I will buy more colours in the future, I was quite impressed.

My favorite Joe Fresh product was the Tinted Lip Balm in Nude. It looks like a boring tan in the tube but on your lips it gives a super soft peach shine to your lips and it creates a very natural looking, soft, supple lip. I have a thing for lip balms and this one is no disappointment. I would really recommend this product. At $8 it isn’t the cheapest tinted lip balm in the world, but given the quality of the product, I think it is a steal.

So go ahead, next time you hit Super Store for milk take a detour over to their beauty area and explore the Joe Fresh cosmetics. If you try something out please report back what you think, I would love to hear your thoughts!  

by Carissa Halley
Contributor
Twitter: @carissayh

Posted under Confessions of a Beauty Junkie •

Frugal Finds: Part IV of our Spending Diet with Sally Hansen Nail Polish

I was waiting for a prescription the other day and found myself attracted like a moth to a flame to the nail polish aisle while I waited. I am a sucker for the rows and rows of pretty colours, I can always find something that catches my eye. Since I am on a beauty spending diet, I decided to look outside of my typical brand and see what else caught my eye.

I spotted this beautiful range of shades from Sally Hansen, the Smooth & Perfect Color & Care polishes. I was entranced by the Sorbet shade, a soft peachy coral that would be the perfect shade for my nails this spring.

This new line is supposed to promote nail health, it allows oxygen to reach your nails, it smooths out ridges and imperfections and dries to a beautiful porcelain finish.  

Needless to say Sorbet made it home with me where I have been obsessed with it ever since.  I rarely paint my nails and my toes the same shade, but I broke my rule for this shade.  It is so soft and lovely, 2 coats will give you a sheer blush of colour, 3 coats will leave you with a colour dense opaque nail.  And the unexpected bonus?  My nails have been growing like crazy.  I typically have short nails because my nails just don’t grow, but they did with this polish on my nails.  It could be coincidence, I don’t know, but so far, I am really impressed and plan to grab more shades when I have a chance.  

What is currently on your fingers and toes Stimulistas?  Please leave a comment below or tweet me @carissayh and let me know!

by Carissa Halley
Contributor
Twitter: @carissayh


 

Posted under Confessions of a Beauty Junkie •

Frugal Finds: Part III of our Spending Diet with Marcelle 3D Cubes

Today we are going to head into London Drugs to look at the new limited edition Marcelle Multi Color 3D Cubes. There are 2 different palettes, one has 9 spring eye shadow shades, the other has 9 blush and bronzer shades.

The eye shadows are lovely, all have a slight iridescent sheen to them, and the colours just scream Spring.  Soft pinks, pale beige, cool, calm blue and a fresh light green, all of them go on wonderfully with minimal fall out on your cheeks and they last well on your lids.  There is a little drawer built into the side with a small mirror and a couple of applicators, the applicators may be the worst applicators I have ever used, save yourself the hassle and just toss them out.  I used one and the first eye I tried it on the top popped off.  Use a brush instead.

The multi-colour blush and bronzer palette has a range of shades that you can use as blush, highlighter or bronzer and there is something for every skin tone in there.  The down side is that each colour cube is small, too small to use a proper blush brush on.  You have to use the small brush included if you want to use just one colour from the palette, but then that brush is so small it kind of streaks your blush onto your cheek and you end up doing a lot of blending.  I tried swirling my full size brush over the entire collection of colours and applied it like that and that works well, but then it kind of defeats the purpose of having separate cubes of blush. 

What I loved about both of these palettes is that these would be ideal for travelling with, or perfect for makeup newbies who want to experiment with a bunch of colours to find what they love.  The palettes retail for $16.95 each, so not incredibly cheap, but when you consider you are getting 9 colour options in either set it is a good deal.

You are up Stimulistas - what do you want to share with the class today?  Please leave a comment below or tweet me @carissayh and let me know!

NEW CONTEST:

We are giving away a gift box full of Marcelle Cosmetics including the new BB Cream, mulit-colour blush palette valued at over $150.00. To enter, post a comment on this editorial. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

by Carissa Halley
Contributor

 

Posted under Confessions of a Beauty Junkie •

Frugal Finds: Part II of our Spending Diet with Almay Mascara

I used to be a firm believer that decent quality mascaras that didn’t aggravate my sensitive eyes were always going to be hard to find unless I was willing to spend a bit more money on them.  I love Lancome Definicils, I pray to the altar of Diorshow, and Clinique Natural Glossy mascara makes me weak in the knees.

I am among the minority in that I admittedly despise the much loved Maybelline Great Lash mascara, I find it too drying and it makes my eyes itch.  So that budget friendly favorite has never been an option for me.

A few years ago a friend suggested Almay One Coat Mascara and I thought, why not give it a shot?  Well, my mascara prejudice was blown out of the water.  I loved the Almay mascara, and I know when I need to save some money I can always rely on Almay for great mascaras at a reasonable price.

Right now I am working on a tube of Almay One Coat Get Up and Grow waterproof mascara.  It is great lengthening mascara, it wears like steel, and it doesn’t bug my sensitive eyes.  It is very natural looking, so if you want that big bold lash you should use an eye lash curler and expect to apply multiple coats.

I actually really recommend all the Almay mascaras, I have yet to try one that hasn’t impressed me.  I have a feeling you will like them too. You can find a wide range of Almay mascaras and other Almay products at London Drugs.
 
Do you have any favorite budget friendly mascaras Stimulistas?  Please leave a comment below or tweet me @carissayh and let me know!

by Carissa Halley
Contributor

Posted under Confessions of a Beauty Junkie •